MILITARY STRIKES CONTINUE AGAINST ISIL IN SYRIA, IRAQ

U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq.

USAF F-16

Dec. 18, 2016 - U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of yesterday’s strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

Attack and fighter aircraft conducted three strikes in Syria:

- Near Ayn Isa, two strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an anti-air artillery system, an ammunition storage facility and two buildings.

- Near Dawr Az Zawr, a strike destroyed two oil wellheads.

Strikes in Iraq

Attack, bomber and fighter aircraft conducted seven strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of the Iraqi government:

- Near Huwayjah, a strike destroyed a vehicle-borne bomb facility.

- Near Beiji, a strike destroyed an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL-held building and an ISIL supply boat.

- Near Mosul, four strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit; destroyed three tactical vehicles, a supply cache, two front-end loaders, a vehicle-borne bomb, five fighting positions, three ISIL-held buildings, a communications tower and an anti-air artillery system; damaged five ISIL supply routes; and suppressed three mortar teams, a bunker and an ISIL tactical unit.

- Near Rawah, a strike destroyed an ISIL bunker.

Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target. Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat it poses to Iraq, Syria, the region and the wider international community. The destruction of targets in Syria and Iraq further limits ISIL's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.